Saturday, December 30, 2017

Is It Really Degrading To Be a Burlesque Dancer? [Interviews]

Burlesque dancing has been around for quite some time, But the negative stigma that comes along with being a dancer still remains. Here on this blog, I want to encourage women to find their inner pin-up girl, no matter what profession they choose to go into. And since burlesque Is a common profession in the pin-up community, I wanted to talk to real live burlesque dancers to help women who are looking to get more of an understanding of burlesque and interested in becoming a dancer themselves - so I asked two burlesque dancers questions concerning burlesque such as how they felt being a burlesque dancer, If they ever performed in front of children, and the advice they have for women who want to become dancers themselves.

“It fills me with joy, to be onstage dancing for the audience, and to share that connection for that time with them. There's nothing like that in the world. It's such an intimate feeling like we're all part of something very special together.

Dancing with children in the audience has come up a number of times, especially at private events for families. I tend to tone down the sensual nature of my dancing for mixed-age events and focus more on expressing playfulness and joy with my movements. Perhaps surprisingly it's less awkward with very young childrenbecause they often don't experience any shyness about bodies yet, that comes with puberty. Also, I'm guessing that the sort of parents who bring their children to an event with burlesque probably have healthy discussions with their children about sexuality and so it's obviously not an issue for them. The only opinion that matters is your own. If you live your life to please or impress others, you may not enjoy a life in burlesque.”

“I see burlesque as an opportunity to both love and express myself. and have found the environment to be very rewarding and supportive of this. I would encourage other women and men to think of the potential positives that may come into their life as a result of exploring burlesque, versus potential judgment. What others may think is beyond your control and if it's something you genuinely want to try, the opinions of others shouldn't stop you.

In Australia, burlesque shows are almost always for 18+ audiences only, based purely on the fact nudity (of some level) is a part of the show. As such, I have rarely encountered children in my performance environments. Instances in which this may differ might be for private/corporate bookings where guests may decide to bring their children along. If we ever notice children are present at a booking, we will re-advise and ensure the client and their guests are 100% aware of what is planned and check whether they are okay with their children being present. ”

People are going to talk no matter what you choose to do with your life, Choose to do what makes YOU happy because you're the one who has to live with yourself at the end of the day.